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W. A. COPELAND. BASS ATTACHMENT- FOR ZITHERS.

APPLICATION FILED mm], 1917. RENEWED MAY 29.1919.

I 1,320,532. Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Mafl (70,159 Zane? UNITED STATES PA TENT OFFICE. Y

WILLIAM A. COPELAND, 0F BROOKLINE', MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHONOHARP COMPANY, OF EAST BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE BASSATTACHMENT FOR ZIT'HERS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented NOV. 4,, 1919.

Application filed January 17, 1917,8eria1No,142,886. Renewed May 29;1919. Serial No. 800,785.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. COPE- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Brookline, in the county. of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in BassAttachments for Zithers, (Case A,) of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to zithers and has for its object to provide asimple attachment for use in connection with groups of bass strings, sothat an operator can cause a selected group to sound in accompaniment toa melody produced on a group of melody strings.

On the drawing- Figure 1 illustrates a zither equipped with anattachment embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents an enlarged sectlon on the line 33 of Fig. 2 and isintended to show how the bridge wire is notched to insure that thestrings, irrespective of their dimensions, will be simultaneouslyengaged by the head of the associated striker.

The particular style and shape of the body portion of the zither towhich my attachment is applied is immaterial, and it is likewiseimmaterial whether the melody strings are plucked by the fingers of theplayer or are caused to sound by the aid of hammers.

As exemplifying. one form of zither with which the attachment may beused, Fig. 1 illustrates a zither formed in the usual manner and havingthe apertured sounding board 5, which forms the upper wall of a hollowbody. The melody strings, which are arranged to furnish either adiatonic scale of any key or a chromatic scale, are indicated at 6. Thechord strings are arranged in groups which are tuned to furnish thetonic, dominant and subdominant chords of a key, and an additional chordsuch for example as bass (Z, a, d, and fit if the tonic chord be in thekey of C. In fact, in an instrument having the melody strings arrangedin a chromatic scale, I may employ twelve groups of chordstrmgs arrangedas described in Letters Patent to Marx No. 1,190,782, dated July 11,1916. As indicated, however, there are four groups 7 8, 9 and 10 ofchord strings, each group three additional strings to produce a triad.

tops of the strings will be tangential to a common plane for a purposeto be explained.

At the front end of the zither is the hand rest or guard 12, which isspaced by blocks 18 from, but which is secured by screws 14; to, thefront end wall 15 of said zither. This hand rest has at its upper edge aflange 16 overhanging the bridge wire but spaced above the strings, theunder face of the flange being concave as shown in Fig. 2. This handrest serves as a support for the strikers for the groups of chordstrings. Each striker is constructed and arranged to trated fourstrikers. of a relatively stilf leaf spring 17 which is substantiallyequal in width to the space occupied by the associated four chordstrings, and which is so short that it will not twist to any appreciableextent when.

lifted by one corner of its free end. One end of each such spring issecured to the under curved face of the flange 16 of the hand rest orguard 12, and its free end ex tends rearwardl longitudinally of thestrings but is lnclined thereto. On the under face of the free end ofeach spring is secured ahead 18 by screws 19. The head in each case maybe formed of wood or metal, such, for example, as lead, but I prefer toconstruct it of relatively hard felt, of a'width slightly greater thanthe group of strings therebeneath, to insure that the head will impingeupon all said strings. The head is shown as triangular in section, toprovide a beveled face 20 at an angle of about 40 or 15 to the plane ofthe strings, and a corner 21 for impingement on the strings. By reasonof the arrangement of the stringsand the varying depths of the notchestherefor in the bridge wire 11, the head will strike all of the stringsof the group simultaneously and with the same degree of force. The headsare all preferably arranged in a row transversely of the strings.

In operation, the operator from time to time inserts a thumb or fingerunder the beveled face of the head of one or another of the strikers,lifts the free end of the striker, and releases it, whereupon theresili-- ency of the spring and the momentum of the head will cause thehead to strike all of the strings of the associated group, Naturally, toprevent damping the strings, the heads, when at rest, are spaced abovethe strings.

Having thus explained the nature of my said invention and described aWay of making and using the same, although without attempting to setforth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, What I claim is 1. The combination with a zither having melodystrings and spaced groups of chord strings, of one striker for eachgroup of chord strings, each striker consisting of a leaf springsubstantially equal in width to the associated group of strings, andhaving ahead on the under side of its free end, said springs allextending longitudinally of the strings, and supporting means forattaching the fixed ends of aid springs to said zither with the heads inproximity to the strings, the free ends of said springs being exposedand unobstructed, in consequence of which each may be manually raisedand then released.

2. The combination with a zither having melody strings and spaced groupsof chord strings, and a hand rest or guard at the front end of saidzither, of one triker for each group of chord strings, each strikerconsisting of a leaf spring substzmtially equal in width to theassociated group'of strings, and having a head on the under side of itsfree end, said springs all extending longitudinally of the strings, andmeans for securing the fixed ends of said springs to said hand rest orguard with the heads in proximity to the strings, the free ends of saidsprings being exposed and unobstructed, in consequence of which each maybe manually raised and then released.

3. The combination with a zither having melody strings and spaced groupsof chord strings, and abridge Wire having notches of different depths asdescribed for said strings according to their cross dimensions, of onestriker for each group of chord strings, each striker consisting of aleaf spring substantially equal in width to the associated group ofstrings, and having a head on the under side of its free end, saidsprings all extending longitudinally of the strin s, and supportingmeans for attaching the ilXeCl ends of said springs to said zither withthe heads in proximity to the strings, the.free ends of said springsbeing exposed and unobstructed, in consequence of which each may bemanually raised and then released.

4:. The combination with a zither having melody strings, and at one sidethereof spaced independent groups of chord strings, said zither having asupport at the front end of the body thereof, of a plurality ofstrikers, one for each group of chord strings, each striker consistingof a leaf spring secured at its front end to the said support, andextending therefrom longitudinally of the associated strings, andv ahead affixed to the under side of the free end of such spring andlocated in proximity to the associated strings, and not less in. Widththan the associated group of chord strings, the free ends of saidstrings being unobstructed to permit the free end thereof to be liftedand then released to strike all the chord strings of the associatedgroup.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

WVILLIAM A. COPELAND.

Copies of. this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

